Catholic school parents ask Rancho Cucamonga mayor, city for help in fight against cell tower

RANCHO CUCAMONGA - A group of parents at Sacred Heart Catholic Church School is continuing the fight against a plan to construct a cellular tower on parish grounds.

They met last week with Mayor Dennis Michael and city planning staff to discuss the matter.

Parents opposed to the Verizon project fear health risks to their children from radiation, but the Federal Communications Act of 1996 prevents the city from denying a cell tower project based on health concerns.

The Diocese of San Bernardino says the tower will emit one-tenth of the maximum radiation permitted by the federal government.

The parents are now arguing that the city should deny the tower, or create legal justification for such a denial, because there is already adequate cellular coverage in the area.

But city planner Tabe Van der Zwaag said the city has no policy allowing a denial based on sufficient cellular coverage.

"The city could deny it, but there's a good chance it could be overturned in court," he said.

Michael said he would sign a letter from the city asking the church to give "serious consideration to having some further dialogue about the issue." He said open conversation could lead to a solution that meets everyone's needs.

The city can deny a cell tower based on aesthetic considerations, Van der Zwaag said. He also said Verizon indicated there is a gap in cellular coverage in the area.

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Yesenia Olague, a school parent and opponent of the tower, said the group has presented instances in other cities, such as Burbank, where a tower opposition group found support from the City Council.

The Burbank council denied the project last June because of the height of the tower and noise from an air-conditioning unit running 24 hours a day.

"It was based on aesthetics and compatibility with the neighborhood," said Jesse Brown, a senior planner for Burbank.

Olague said tower opponents also argue that the addition of another cell tower would go against the city's philosophy as a city interested in a sustainability, environmental consciousness and energy efficiency.

"They want to make Rancho Cucamonga a `green' city, and this (denial) would totally help them support that," Olague said.

Michael said the staff will review material presented by tower opponents, including articles about the Burbank tower denial.

"Our staff is looking into what they've asserted and exploring that," he said. "If there's an amendment to development or municipal code, that's going to be a process that takes some time."

Michael also said that if Verizon were to move from the church property, the company could pursue a location nearby.

"If in fact Verizon is very concerned about coverage, and they've got this issue with coverage, there's nothing to say that Verizon couldn't relocate on another adjoining property that is still near the playground of the church," Michael said.

A spokesman for the Diocese of San Bernardino could not be reached for comment on Friday. The spokesman, John Andrews, recently said the church was proceeding with the project for the tower on the southwest portion of the property, which is on Foothill Boulevard, just east of the 15 Freeway.

Andrews said the deal with Verizon would generate revenue for the parish.